Paralyzer
by thedarkhasfallen
Summary: A nice lovey-dovey story with just the right amount of action and violence beside the small romantics. HA! There's gonna be bigger things than sparks flyin' around in this little OneShot.


**Paralyzer**

**Rated T for violence and mild language**

**Sonic and all related characters are property of Sega. No copyright infringement intended.**

**I am in no way related to ANY of the musical artists mentioned in this fiction. No copyright infringement intended.**

** OCs: Swift, Jerry, Blade, Snively**

**Warning: SonicXOC**

--

The night air was lively and full of energy. I wallered in it, soaking up the nightlife. Bright lights shone in my eyes, causing me to blink every time a new color came into view. My caramel brown eyes searched, scanned the street in front of me. All sorts of people walked around aimlessly from club to club. I was the one hedgehog among the hundreds of hedgehogs that was not enjoying herself.

Every couple that passed was another blow to my heart. No matter how many nights I spent out, I couldn't get what Jet did to me out of my head. I felt more and more dejected with every pop culture report I heard about it. He took my heart, ripped it into tiny pieces, and threw those pieces back in my face without second thought.

I used to be on his Extreme Gear team. I used to be amateur champion; that's how he became interested in me. I used to love him. I used to get him anything he wanted. Until I discovered him cheating on me… I left him the next day, right after chewing him out, breaking a few incredibly valuable trophies of his, and giving him a nice concussion and lump on his head to match the size of his ego.

And yet, I forced myself to pull together. I promised myself I wouldn't get anymore upset for him. It was just plain pointless to let him see me suffer.

And so, I tried not to think about him as I walked the streets in the partial-light. Electric blues, sunny yellows, and hot pinks made the night seem more like twilight than near-midnight. There was no way I would stop and marvel at the scene for fear of running into one of the preppy girls in mini-skirts and low-cut tops.

A run-in like that would bring about murderous consequences for my opponent, seeing as I am designed to be a killer. Maybe not. Although it would rid the world of one more… well… I'll just say bad person; I would be wasting my time and energy on some low-life scum.

I sighed at this fact and continued walking.

Many different kinds of clubs and bars presented themselves to me, but I rarely took more than a second to look at them. A bar was out of the question; bars around here could get nasty after eleven. Several clubs were blasting music that appealed to me, but I dismissed these along with the rest. These clubs were known to be either for couples or for extreme partiers.

I made my way to the end of the street, where the teenagers hung out. Fewer clubs were making it big back here. I figured this would be the last night I was even in this city, unless I found someone worth staying for, so I might as well go somewhere I'd never been. After surveying the scene, I stopped in front of one of the smaller clubs. The name of the club was spelled out on a bright neon yellow sign in black writing posted just above the door.

"Static." I whispered, looking up at the sign. I allowed a small smile to form for a moment, but it disappeared when a wolf-whistle reached my ears. Suddenly, I felt a hand wrap around my left arm.

--

I sighed for the 24th time that night. Once again, I was sitting alone at the bar. Once again, I was sipping on a Sprite. And once again, not a single girl in Static had taken a second glance at me.

"Another slow night, I guess." I frowned and watched as couples adjusted to the change in tempo. I allowed my emerald green eyes to make another glance at the DJ. He was getting all of the attention. Even though I knew I could do a way better job than he could, I knew I didn't stand a chance at letting him give me a shot at the turntables. Not with the whole club against me, anyway. He was a big, muscular, orange echidna with white markings all over his body. I let out a low growl, attracting the attention of the bartender.

"What is it, Sonic, my best customer?" He grinned at me.

It was true; I was his best and most loyal customer. The green and black raccoon and I had been friends since my first night here.

I sighed and looked up from my drink.

"Nothing." I snarled.

"Well, you should probably hold the glass more gently or you're gonna break it." He suggested. I released the glass and apologized. "It's no big deal! You didn't break it this time." He laughed. I considered glaring at him, but decided against it. A dance-off had started up in the middle of the dance floor, but was broken up after only two competitors challenged each other and engaged in a stalemate. Jerry, the bartender, noticed me feeling a little down in the dumps. "Here." My head jerked up again and I looked over my shoulder at him. "Free refill." He told me and filled my glass up to the rim.

"Thanks, Jerry." I smiled at him. He nodded and went to serve another guy down at the right side of the bar. A high-pitched screech came from the turntables, returning my attention to the DJ. I growled again as his red face indicated that he was the source of the screech. "Idiot…" I sighed and took another sip of my drink.

--

I whipped around to see my attacker. A huge, gray tabby cat had me by the left arm. He held a baseball bat balanced on his right shoulder. I wasn't scared and I sure didn't act like it.

"Well, well, where're you going out this late, little lady?" The tabby asked me.

"None of your business." I hissed threateningly. "I suggest you remove your hand or I'll break it off of your arm and shove it down your throat." I tried to keep my voice as even-pitched as possible. But, my temper was incredibly short.

"Hmm… looks like we've got a smart-ass on our hands tonight, right boys?" He laughed in my face. Five other huge cats came out of the shadows in the alley next to the club. Each had a different kind of club at their side. I growled menacingly, causing all five to burst out laughing. "What do ya say, boys? Let's play a little while." He grinned evilly at me. The other five encircled the leader and I. I closed my eyes and smirked.

"This is the last time I'll warn you. Leave now or face the consequences." I warned.

"Did you hear that, boss? Face the consequences! Oh dear, we'd better get out of here." An orange cat mocked me.

"I did hear that, Snively! We should definantly scram…" The leader joined in. I sighed at their stupidity. "After we bash her brains out, we'll teach her a lesson at my place." He promised his followers. They all cheered excitedly.

"Perverts…" I muttered.

"Who say dat?" A gray cat looked around in confusion.

"I did, the Ultimate Lifeform!" I declared angrily.

"Ultimate Lifeform!" They got a good kick out of that.

"Well, the second Ultimate Lifeform, but still." I shouted and opened my eyes again.

"Tell me something then, Ultimate Lifeform. How can something so small as you be an Ultimate Lifeform?" The leader taunted.

"Yeah, pipsqueak!" All of the followers jeered. I closed my eyes again and laughed. They all became silent.

"You shouldn't be laughing, pipsqueak. You should be screaming your head off." Snively's face became less mocking and displayed a look of 'something's wrong'

"What should and should not rarely applies to me. You made a big mistake when you picked me out of the crowd and I'll make sure you pay for it." I reopened my eyes, a fire within them. The leader still held my arm, but wasn't looking too brave anymore. Then, he mentally slapped himself and tightened his grip on my arm. I laughed again and watched as he moved the bat closer to the edge of his shoulder.

Finally, he swung the bat, aiming at my head. I dodged easily, gasps of amazement ringing out from the ring of cats around me. Snively took his broomstick and swung it for my face. The leader gasped and loosened his grip on me. I wriggled free just before the broomstick hit me and spun away from the two cats in the middle. Snively's broomstick smashed his boss's hand. The leader yelped in pain and turned to find me. I grinned and called on Chaos. Black energy formed around my clenched fists.

"Chaos Blast!" I yelled, unleashing the raw energy.

--

"Sonic… Yo, Sonic! Wake up!" Jerry was behind me again.

"Huh?" I had nodded off from the lack of good music.

"Can't have you falling asleep so early into the night, now can I?" He grinned at me.

"I guess…" I trailed, staring absently at the door.

"You need some caffeine in your system. Maybe some sugar too, huh?" He suggested.

"Whatever…" I sighed. "I don't have anymore money with me." I told him after a quick check around me.

"It's on the house for you, buddy!" He exclaimed and disappeared into the kitchen. I sighed again and kept staring at the door.

--

In a split second, energy inundated my body then erupted from me in a huge explosion. Screams from my opponents barely reached my ears over the flow of energy. Suddenly, the flow cut off. I glanced around, panting slightly. Every single cat was on his back. I knew it wasn't the best I could do, but I didn't want to overwork myself on a bunch of idiotic little perverts. They got back up and glared at me. The leader charged at me. I waited until the last second to grab his fist and stop him dead in his tracks. I grabbed his other fist and he brought it up to smash me in the face. I squeezed his fists until I heard a crack from each of them, followed by a squeal from the leader. He slid to his knees in pain. Still holding his now-broken fists, I swung him to my left and let go when I faced the club across the street, sending him flying into two of his followers. Snively ran at me from behind. I whipped around and stepped to the right, allowing him to pass me, his fist no more than an inch from my face. He skidded to a stop and turned around again. He charged again. This time, I ran at him and kneed him in the chest when he lowered his fist. He collapsed instantly, breath knocked out of him. There were two left and both were running away. I let out a laugh.

"Chaos Control." I muttered. I teleported in front of the two cats. "Where are you going this late at night, boys?" I asked mockingly. They stopped and stared at me in disbelief.

"Bu-but, yo-you were j-just over th-there." One of them squeaked.

"I told you; I am the second Ultimate Lifeform!" I gave one a nice right hook to the face, sending him reeling into the dumpster on the sidewalk. I nailed the other one in the chest, causing him to stagger backwards until he fell over on the other side of the street. I turned away from the idiots now strewn about the street.

"No girl turns her back to me!" I barely heard the leader speak. I whirled around again to face him. He was only barely on his feet, but he had a gun and that was good enough reason to attack. "It's time for you to eat lead!" He grinned and pulled the trigger.

"Chaos Control!" I shouted before the bullet even exited the barrel. Time slowed and I watched the bullet leave the gun with an exaggerated bang. I moved to the left of the bullet and reached out to grab the bullet. Since it was taking too long for the bullet to reach my hand, I walked over to the bullet and grabbed it. Time sped back up again. I smirked as the leader's grin turned into a gasp.

"Is this yours?" I asked and held up the bullet. I dropped it on the ground and walked towards him. "You're so stupid! I warned you too and you still wouldn't listen!" I walked up in front of him. "Idiot." I backslapped him across the face. "Idiot." I hit him again. "Idiot." Again. "Idiot." One last time… "IDIOT!!" I hit him so hard that he flew into the building to my left. I picked the bullet back up and turned away again. Finally, I walked into the club without any disruption.

--

The current song was "Down With the Sickness" by Disturbed. I liked the song; it just wasn't good dancing music. I sighed and shook my head at the DJ. I was a little more awake after destroying a piece of cake and downing a Coke, but still lonely. I looked back at Jerry.

"Thanks, Jerry." I thanked him and smiled a little.

"No problem! Only for my best customer, Sonic." He smiled back.

"One more drink, okay?" I told him.

"Okay Sonic." He looked disappointed again.

"So, have you heard the new album by—" He wasn't paying attention. He was staring at the door. "Yo, Jerry! Hello! Wake up, dude!" I snapped my fingers in front of his face.

"Sonic, look at the new girl who just walked in." He muttered.

"Huh?" I turned to take a look. Instantly, I was star struck. The new girl was a navy hedgehog with black highlights and a white tuft of fur on her chest. She had a lonely look on her face as she looked around at the couples dancing. And she was all alone. Her caramel brown eyes were bright and lively. I was certain she wouldn't even look at me. And then, her eyes turned from the dancers to the bar. My emerald eyes found hers. I was startled when a small smile formed on her face. Then, the music changed…

--

The club was rocking for sure, but I was uncertain when I saw so many couples dancing around. But, then I looked at the people at the bar. One stood out to me. A blue hedgehog glared at the DJ with angry emerald eyes. His friend, the bartender, saw me and whispered something to the hedgehog. The hedgehog looked up and found me near the door. I quickly looked away and a frown formed on my face as I watched the couples attempting to dance. Then, I looked back up at the hedgehog and my eyes found his…

--

The DJ looked like he had lost control of his equipment. It stopped in mid-song and started playing the exact song I was thinking of, "Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven. I grabbed my drink nervously to stop my hand from shaking. She stopped walking towards me about halfway between me and the door, as if uncertain about giving me a chance. She still held me in her eyes as the song actually restarted and played again from the beginning. I started begging in my head.

"Please give me a chance… please give me a chance… please give me a chance…" I repeated over and over in my head.

"_I hold on so nervously_

_to me and my drink_

_I wish it was cooling me_

_But so far has not been good._

_It's been shitty _

_And I feel awkward, as I should._

_The club has got to be_

_The most pretentious thing_

_Since I thought you and me."_

I did feel awkward and I was holding onto my drink and me. "What in the world is going on?" I asked myself.

"_Well, I am imagining a dark lit place_

_Or your place or my place."_

My eyes became wide at that, but I shook myself until they were normal again. The girl looked like she was feeling awkward too…

"_Well, I'm not paralyzed_

_but, I seem to be struck by you._

_I want to make you move_

_because you're standing still._

_If your body matches _

_What your eyes can do_

_You'll probably move right though_

_Me on my way to you."_

"Oh my God! This song… it's what I'm feeling right now… how is this happening?" I thought to myself.

"_I hold out for one more drink_

_before I think_

_I'm looking too desperately._

_But so far has not been fun_

_I should just stay home._

_If one thing really means one_

_This club will hopefully _

_Be closed in three weeks._

_That would be cool with me._

_Well, I'm still imagining _

_A dark lit place_

_Or your place or my place."_

The girl looked around and broke eye contact with me. Then, she looked back at me. I took a breath and held it. She took a tiny step forward, towards me.

"Is she…?" Jerry trailed behind me.

"Maybe…" I muttered.

"She looks interested in you…" He told me.

"Hopefully…" I whispered.

"_Well, I'm not paralyzed_

_but, I seem to be struck by you._

_I want to make you move_

_because you're standing still._

_If your body matches _

_What your eyes can do_

_You'll probably move right though_

_Me on my way to you."_

"You gotta make a move!" Jerry whispered loudly to me. I hesitated, apprehensive of what her reaction may be.

"What if she says no?" I whispered hoarsely.

"What if she says yes?" He hissed back. The chorus played again. My heartbeat sped up and thudded against my chest. Then, the chorus began playing for the final time.

"_Well, I'm not paralyzed_

_but, I seem to be struck by you._

_I want to make you move_

_because you're standing still._

_If your body matches _

_What your eyes can do_

_You'll probably move right though_

_Me on my way to you."_

"What if…?" I muttered as she took another step forward.

"_You'll probably move right through_

_Me on my way to you._

_You'll probably move right through_

_Me on my way to you."_

She stopped again.

"What'cha waiting for?" Her eyes seemed to ask.

"Come on, Sonic. You can do it! I'll help out from back here…" Jerry encouraged.

"_You'll probably move right through_

_Me on my way to you."_

The girl started to turn away. I got up out of my stool and walked over towards her. She must have seen me out of the corner of her eye, because she turned to face me.

"Ummm… hi…" I smiled at her and rubbed the back of my head nervously. Much to my surprise and delight, she smiled back.

"Hi…" She said back, also seeming a little nervous.

"Do you… uhhh… wanna sit with me?" I asked. "Please say yes." I prayed in my head.

"Sure!" She said, again surprising me.

"Okay, follow me!" I led the way through the giant crowd of people. Jerry awaited my return behind the counter. I sat down on my bar stool, careful not to sit on my tail. She sat down on the stool to my left, also careful not to sit on her tail. "Oh… my… GOD!" I mouthed to Jerry. He grinned happily.

"Welcome to Static! Have you ever been here before?" Jerry asked the girl.

"No, actually." She blushed nervously.

"Okay then, just give me a couple of minutes to get a menu and I'll be back in a jiffy!" Jerry told her. She nodded and Jerry took off for the kitchen again. She turned to look back at me.

"Oh, sorry! My name's Sonic!" I told her. She laughed and smiled again.

"My name's Swift." She said.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Swift." I made sure I had her name firmly in my memory banks.

"Nice to meet you too, Sonic."

"So…" I started. The DJ had managed to get control of his equipment again. "That was kinda weird how the music changed, huh?" I mentally slapped myself for asking such a stupid question.

"Yeah, I liked that song." She replied.

"Me too!" We laughed together.

"So, do you like music?" She asked me.

"Like music? I LOVE music!" I grinned.

"Really? That's cool! I love music too! But, this DJ… he kinda sucks…" She told me.

"You think so too? He's really awful!" I whispered.

"I agree in full!" She laughed. Jerry returned with the menu.

"What would you like to drink?" He asked her.

--

My wallet was gone! Mentally, I swore at the gang from before.

"I'll just have to deal without." I told myself. "Thank gosh I only had a fifty in there."

--

"I… my… wallet's gone…" She murmured.

"Oh that's okay! It's on the house tonight." Jerry winked at me.

"Thanks! I'll have a Coke please." She asked politely.

"Coming right up!" Jerry whirled around to retrieve a glass.

"What happened to your wallet?" I asked her, concerned.

"Do you want the truth?" She winced.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." I encouraged

"Well, I was attacked by a gang right before I came in here…" She trailed. I looked her over. She was a little dirty, but was otherwise okay.

"That gang is led by Blade." Jerry told her as he filled her glass.

"Well, Blade grabbed me by the arm." She showed me her left arm. I noticed a bruise beginning to form in the shape of a hand on her forearm. "I had no choice but to fight them off." Glass shattered and our heads snapped up to Jerry.

"Sorry, but you took them on by yourself?" Jerry asked, surprised. She nodded. "How?" Jerry was amazed. She pulled out a bullet from her pocket. Jerry took it and examined it.

"You probably don't believe me." She looked down at her Jet Shoes, which I had been admiring for the past minute.

"No, I do believe you." I assured her. She looked back up and gave me a small smile.

"Thanks, Sonic." She whispered to me.

"Well, this bullet's definantly from Blade's gun. But, how'd you get it? He doesn't fire his gun normally. It's his last resort!" Jerry handed the bullet back to Swift.

"He shot at me after I had broken his hands. I just plucked the bullet out of the air." She explained. Jerry's eyes went wide at that.

"It's easy for the speedy ones, Jerry." I told him.

"Quit trying to make me jealous of your speed, Sonic." Jerry growled at me.

"You're fast? Well, I should have assumed that from your name, huh?" She asked.

"Well, I… uhh… I guess I'm fast." I grinned sheepishly. Jerry handed Swift her Coke after getting a new glass. She took a sip of it and set it back on the counter.

"Ever broken the sound barrier, Sonic?" She asked.

"Yeah, you?" I answered truthfully. She nodded. Jerry just gave us strange looks. We laughed at him.

"So, you broke Blade's hands, took one of his bullets out of the air, and just walked in here like it was nothing special." Jerry summed up what he had just heard with slight disbelief.

"Well, I guess so… I didn't think it was that great." She said.

"That is great! He may stop bothering us back here." Jerry sounded hopeful at that.

"I don't know if he will…" Swift muttered.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"He was a little persistent in his attacks, so I'm not so sure he'll give up that easily." She explained with a worried look on her face.

"Oh." She looked over the menu and took another sip of her Coke.

"You want anything?" She asked me.

"I already ate, but I'll split something with you, if you want to." I lied. Jerry shot me a 'nice one' look. I glared back.

"Sure, I'm not real hungry either." She replied without looking up from the menu. I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. "Ummm… I'll have an order of spaghetti, if that's okay with you, Sonic?" She asked me.

"Fine with me." I grinned.

"Coming right up!" Jerry told us. "Ask her to dance!" He mouthed to me. I sighed back.

"So, ummm… would you want to… uhhh… dance if… a good song comes on?" I asked nervously.

"Sure! I'd love to dance!" She exclaimed. We waited for a good song for a couple of minutes, when the DJ lost control again and the turntables stopped playing mid-song. The new song was "I Don't Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem)" by Good Charlotte. "This one!" She yelled over the boom of the speakers. She grabbed my hand and pulled me out onto the dance floor with her.

"Okay!" I yelled after her. When we were out in the middle of the action, she stopped and the lights flickered off. The strobe lights flicked on and the multi-colored panels under our feet began flashing. I could barely see her in the dim light. Then, a wave of purple flashed overhead and I caught sight of her. I grabbed her hands at that second and started to dance with her. I spun her into me and then whipped her back out. She stopped herself, still holding my hand, and spun back in. Then, she let go and crossed her arms across her chest when she realized the whole room had surrounded us and we were in the middle of a new dance-off. "You ready?" I mouthed to her.

"Yes!" She mouthed back. We led the whole club in a dance-off that lasted for the better part of the hour.

"Woo-hoo! That was awesome!" I yelled over the speakers as we sat back down at our stools again.

"Totally! You're a pretty good dancer!" She yelled back.

"Not as good as you are!" I laughed.

"Now you're lying to me!" She laughed back.

"No really! You were great!" I yelled. She laughed at me. Jerry reappeared seconds later with our spaghetti.

"Enjoy, you two!" He yelled over the crappy new song that was blasting from the speakers. We both moved for the food at the same time and our heads lightly bumped.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Swift shouted.

"No biggie! I'm sorry too!" I yelled, slightly annoyed with all of the yelling. "Hey, Jerry! Do you think you could tell that DJ to turn the volume down?" I asked him.

"Yeah, please do!" Swift added.

"I'll try!" Jerry went around the counter and disappeared into the crowd. We continued eating until Jerry came back. "The echidna's gone and there's a cat in his place! And he doesn't look too friendly!" Jerry looked worried. Swift stopped mid-chew and looked over her shoulder as inconspicuously as possible at the turntables.

"This isn't good." She told me.

"What is it?" I asked, swallowing a mouthful of noodles.

"That's Snively; he was from the gang outside." Swift wasn't too happy about that. "Tell Jerry to get as many people out of the club as possible!"

"Okay!" I called Jerry over as Swift looked around for any more gang members. "Jerry, get as many people out as possible!" Jerry nodded and went into the crowd again. Swift turned back to me.

"Alright, Sonic. You should probably leave too…" She winced.

"No way! I can help, trust me!" I wouldn't leave her alone to fight six on one, even if she had already beaten them before. She gave me a concerned look, which I returned with an 'I can do it!' look.

"Okay! You can help, but if you get hurt, I'll never forgive myself!" She agreed.

"Don't worry! I can fight." I promised. She nodded. We watched the crowd thin and, eventually, disappear. Jerry rushed over to the bar just as the last customer left.

"Sonic, Swift, those gang members took every last dollar I made tonight!" Jerry hissed in our ears. Five cats lined up in front of the door.

"Jerry, get in the kitchen and don't come out until we tell you, got it?" I told him.

"We'll get your money back." Swift promised.

"Good luck." He told us and ran into the kitchen. The sixth cat got up from the turntables and walked over beside the others.

--

"I thought you learned your lesson earlier. But, I guess I caused a little more brain damage than I thought." I taunted.

"Shut up, smart-ass! I'll break every bone in your body double for every bone broken in my hand!" Blade yelled back.

"Well then, why don't we get some fighting music on and I'll finish what I started." I crossed my arms across my chest. "Do you want to pick that out?" I asked Sonic, using a more friendly tone with him. He nodded and got up from his barstool to mess with the turntables.

"Look here, boss! Smart-ass found a friend." Snively laughed. All six laughed at Sonic hysterically, as if Snively had just told the best joke ever.

"I don't see what's so funny, perverts." I hissed at them. Sonic gave me a grateful look and pressed the 'play' button. "Phenomenon" by Thousand Foot Krutch began playing. "Nice choice, Sonic."

"You like it?" He asked. I nodded.

"Well, bring it on, Blade! We're ready." I snarled and clenched my fists at my side, once again calling on Chaos. "Sonic?"

"Ready!" He put his fists up and took the fighter's stance.

"_If you're like us, calling all riders, roll up beside us, no place to hide us,  
all freedom fighters, let's unite us, switch on your nitrous and...let's.. go...  
Destination, for navigation, man up ya stations, feel the sensation surround invasion,  
with communication, move quick, we might avoid contamination"_

"Sonic, before you start fighting… roll up into a ball… or you'll get hurt by… my first attack…" I struggled to keep the Chaos down inside me and black energy formed around my fists again. He gave me an odd look.

"Swift?" He asked.

"Just do it!" I yelled.

"Right!" He curled up and began spinning.

"Chaos Blast!" I yelled and released the energy.

"_Down, Here comes the sound, everyone pound your feet to this Phenomenon, Now let's make it  
loud, let's show 'em all how you move to this phenomenon, Roll! Open your soul, maybe lose  
control inside of this phenomenon, just let your self go, and let everyone know you move to  
this phenomenon."_

I directed the blast away from the spinning ball of blue to my left and fired it at the six cats in the doorway. They were instantly thrown backwards into the front wall.

"Now, Sonic!" I yelled and backed up to give him room. He stopped spinning in place and charged forward straight into Blade. He bounced off of Blade and spun back to his starting spot.

"_Don't let these spiders crawl up beside us, they want to bite us, inject the virus. Raise up  
the lighters, praise to the righteous, we need to guide us, get...prepared..to.. go..if you're  
like us, calling all riders, roll up beside is, no place to hide us, all freedom fighters,  
let's unite us, switch on your nitrous..and.. lets..go.."_

Snively leapt forward and attacked Sonic just as he regained his balance. I jumped in front of Sonic and launched a burst of Chaos at Snively, throwing him back into the door. Two other cats ran in from my left and Sonic stepped in and smashed one in the face, breaking his nose and tossing him into the wall.

"Nice, Sonic!" I yelled to him. He winked at me and threw another punch at the other cat. He nailed him in the chest and the cat staggered backwards.

"_Down, Here comes the sound, everyone pound your feet to this Phenomenon, Now let's make it  
loud, let's show 'em all how you move to this phenomenon, roll! Open your soul, maybe lose  
control inside of this phenomenon, just let your self go, and let everyone know you move to  
this phenomenon."_

"Now, gang!" Blade cried out hoarsely. All six charged us at the same time. I grabbed Sonic's arm.

"Chaos Control!" I yelled.

"_Can't take it anymore, shake until we move the floor, what are we waiting for? Let's go! I'm  
tired of being ordinary, don't care if there's people staring, I'll rely on your strength to  
carry me on. I'm not invisible like you, next time things get a little messed up, I'll shine,  
but I'll never be see through. I'm fine just tryin to wake the rest up."_

Time slowed again and Sonic and I were moving in normal speed while the cats moved like snails.

"What in the world?" Sonic asked me, amazed. "What is this?"

"This… is Chaos Control." I told him proudly. "This is how I grabbed the bullet before. Now, let's move out of the way." I walked around Blade and stood behind him. Sonic followed, looking around in amazement. Time sped up once we were safe and all six cats slammed into each other. Only Blade and Snively stood up again. "Jerry! Call the cops!" I shouted to the kitchen.

"_Down, Here comes the sound, everyone pound your feet to this Phenomenon, Now let's make it  
loud, let's show 'em all how you move to this phenomenon, roll! Open your soul, maybe lose  
control inside of this phenomenon, just let your self go, and let everyone know you move to  
this phenomenon."_

Blade pulled out his gun.

"Say goodnight, hedgehogs!" He laughed. He aimed at Sonic first and pulled the trigger.

"No Sonic!" I screamed. "CHAOS CONTROL!!" I yelled in panic. Sonic was still moving in slow motion, since I didn't grab him. So, I ran over, grabbed his arm and pulled hard. Time sped up again and I threw him out of the way. Sonic slid across the room and skidded to a stop before he hit the wall. I felt the burn of the bullet as it grazed me. I spent too much time saving Sonic and didn't have enough time to react as Blade came at me. He pushed the barrel of the gun into my chest.

"Can you feel death, hedgehog? It's breathing down your neck." He hissed. I backed up until I hit the counter. He followed, keeping the gun pressed against the center of the tuft of white fur on my chest.

"Swift!" Sonic yelled. I became slightly worried. Snively rushed over and clamped his hand over Sonic's mouth and forced him into the wall.

"Let him go!" I yelled. Blade pulled the hammer down, silencing me. With his other hand, he grabbed me by the neck and pushed me into the counter even harder. I grunted in pain and closed my eyes.

"Tell me, hedgehog, do you believe in God written on this bullet?" He hissed and pushed me so hard into the counter that I started to fear my back would break. As if someone was playing some sick joke on me, "Cassie" by Flyleaf started coming from the speakers.

"_The question asked in order  
To save her life or take it  
The answer no to avoid death  
The answer yes would make it  
Make it" _

I could barely breathe by now. I delayed, hoping, praying the police would hurry.

"_Do you believe in God  
Written on the bullet  
Say yes to pull the trigger  
Do you believe in God  
Written on the bullet  
And Cassie pulled the trigger"_

"Police here! Put your hands in the air and drop your weapons!" The authorities had finally arrived.

"But, is it too late?" I asked myself.

"_All heads are bowed in silence  
To remember her last sentence  
She answered him knowing what would happen  
Her last words still hanging in the air  
In the air"_

"Well, hedgehog, what's the answer?" He pushed the gun further into my chest.

"Yes." I whispered.

"_Do you believe in God  
Written on the bullet  
Say yes to pull the trigger  
Do you believe in God  
Written on the bullet  
And Rachel pulled the trigger"_

"What was that hedgehog?"

"Drop your weapons or we'll fire!"

"Oh my God!" I yelped in my head.

"YES!!" I screamed.

"_How many will die  
I will die  
I, I will say yes"_

I kneed him in the chest. He released his grip on my neck and I punched him hard across the face. He staggered backwards. I pushed off of the counter and kicked him directly in the ribs, cracking one. I spun and smashed him in the jaw, cracking that too.

"_(Do you believe)  
Do you believe in God (Do you believe)  
Do you believe in God (Do you believe)  
Do you believe in God  
And I will pull the trigger"_

Blade fell to the floor, unconscious. In a split second, I had already gotten my wallet and all of Jerry's money out of Blade's back pocket. I shoved it in my pocket. Immediately upon seeing his partner fall, Snively threw up his hands and backed away from Sonic. I saw teeth marks on his palm and smiled slightly. Two policemen tackled him and placed handcuffs on his wrists. Other policemen grabbed the other five and cuffed them.

--

"Swift!" I yelled and ran towards her. I stopped in front of her, a little confused about whether to hug her, shake her hand, or pat her on the back. She smiled and hugged me hard. After a second, I hugged her back. "Thank God you're okay!" I whispered in her ear.

"thankgodihadyoutheretohelpme."

"What?" I muffled her voice I was hugging her so hard.

"Thank God I had you there with me!" She exclaimed.

"Oh." I laughed. Jerry came out from behind the counter.

"Sorry to break up this love-fest, but… YOU TWO WERE AWESOME!!" Jerry exclaimed.

"Thanks, Jerry." I blushed and let Swift go. She blushed and looked away.

"Thank you." She muttered.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" A policeman approached her.

"Fine, yeah." She replied shyly.

"You're bleeding on your arm there." He noticed.

"Huh? Swift? You okay?" I asked.

"Oh." She lifted up her left arm. I noticed her forearm was swelling and had turned a light purple and she had a bullet burn closer to her shoulder.

"Swift, I'm so sorry." I apologized.

"There's no need to apologize, Sonic. It's better that I took it in the arm than you did in the head." She said.

"I suppose you're right there." I sighed.

"I'd like you to come out to the ambulance outside. We'll get you checked out and then you can come back inside." The officer told her. She cast me a worried look, like she wanted me to come with her.

"If it's okay, officer, I'd like to get myself checked over too." I said, not looking away from Swift for a second.

"Okay then, we'll run a check over you too." The officer said.

"Don't let them put any needles in me, Sonic." Swift's voice told me in my head.

"Huh? Swift? How'd you get in my head?" I asked in my head.

"I'll tell you later. Just don't let them do anything to me with needles." She said calmly.

"Okay then… I won't let them." I said.

"Thanks."

The officer led us out into the parking lot and to an ambulance. He motioned for us to sit on the back, so we did. He left us alone.

"Why no needles?" I whispered in her ear.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She whispered back.

"Why wouldn't I? I'll believe anything after that little fight in there." I told her. She sighed and looked me in the eye.

"I am the second Ultimate Lifeform."

"Is that why you could use Chaos Control without an Emerald?" I asked.

"Yeah…" She didn't seem to proud about it this time.

"I think that's the coolest thing ever." I told her.

"Thanks, but it's not so cool when you're scared half to death that the government is going to figure out that you were on the ARK." She shivered.

"You mean that place they closed down in space?" She nodded. "Second? You mean there's two of you?" I asked. She nodded again.

"My older brother…" She said sadly.

"I didn't mean to upset you." I said.

"It's okay. I'm not upset with you." She looked up into the night sky.

"What're you looking at?" I asked her and looked up with her.

"I heard there was supposed to be a meteor shower tonight, so I was hoping for a shooting star." She said.

"Really? I love meteor showers!" I told her. A flash of white flicked across the blackness of space and Swift pointed to it. Two more flashes. Five more flashes. 12 more flashes. 20 more flashes. Then, a paramedic came around the ambulance.

"So, how're you today?" The Dalmatian asked us.

"Fine." We replied together. She took Swift's arm in her paws and examined it.

"Now, I want you to tell me if this hurts." She told Swift. Swift nodded and waited. The paramedic applied pressure in the center of the swelling. Swift bit her lip.

"Yeah, that hurts."

"I'm sorry, dear. It's not broken, based on the reports I heard from the officers, but I think fifteen-minute intervals of ice and no ice would do you some good tonight. If it's still swelled tomorrow, try fifteen-minute intervals of ice and heat. If it hasn't healed in three days, I want you to give us a call and we'll fix you right up, okay?" She said. Swift nodded. "As for the bullet burn, I'll fix that up right now."

"You okay, Swift?" I asked her. She nodded. The paramedic pored alcohol on a cotton swab and swabbed the wound. The only signs Swift showed of any pain were her ears flicking every couple of seconds. I grinned at her.

"She's a good little trooper, aren't you?" The medic asked. Swift blinked as if she didn't understand, then nodded slowly. Next, the medic wound some medical tape around the bullet burn. After five turns, the medic cut the tape and secured it. "You'll want to take that off tomorrow night and replace it with this Ace wrap." She handed Swift a roll of Ace wrap with a bobby pin embedded in the top.

"Thank you." Swift told the medic. Swift stood up and waited for me to get up. I stood and let her pass.

"Don't you want to be checked over?" The medic asked me.

"No ma'am, I think any injuries I have are minor compared to hers." I pointed at Swift and ran after her to catch up. "Hey, Swift." I said when I caught up.

"Thanks for going over there with me, Sonic." She said.

"No problem." I smiled at her. "Want my help?" I offered her my hand.

"Sonic, I'm not limping." She laughed. I mentally slapped myself again. "But, I'll take it." She took my arm and put it over her shoulder, behind her neck. I felt the blood rise to my cheeks again.

"Did you get your money back?" I asked. She showed me her wallet and a sizable wad of money. "And Jerry's too! Nice job, Swift." I complemented.

"Thanks Sonic." We walked back inside to find Jerry dimming the lights.

"What's up, Jerry?" I caught his attention.

"Oh Sonic! I was… just… umm…" Jerry jumped five feet in the air in surprise.

"Swift got your money back." She walked over and handed him the wad of cash.

"Thank you guys so much for getting rid of them." He stuffed the wad in his pocket.

"No problem." We replied together.

"You know what? You two would make a nice couple…" Jerry added.

"Jerry!" We exclaimed. I took my hands off her and backed up a little bit. Swift looked like she could kill Jerry then and there. I kinda felt like killing him too. Both of us blushed and gave each other awkward looks.

"Umm… so…" I started. It was getting late, around two or three in the morning.

"I should probably be getting home." Swift rubbed her shoulder nervously.

"Well, how about one last dance?" I asked when she started for the door. She stopped abruptly and turned around.

"Sure."

"I can't believe this!" Jerry mouthed to me. Once again, I glared at him. "I'll find something for you two to dance to." Jerry just smiled at me and went over to the turntables.

"Well, how about a slow dance? I know you don't move slowly, but can you be a little slower for about four minutes?" Swift laughed.

"I'll try." I told her. "for you." I added under my breath. Since Jerry was struggling with the turntables, I walked over and pressed play.

"Oh, sorry." I ignored Jerry and focused on the girl waiting for me on the floor. The song that played this time was "Breathe You In" once again by Thousand Foot Krutch. I smiled at Swift and went to be by her, in front of her, near her.

"_Taking hold, breaking in  
The pressures on, need to circulate  
Mesmerized and taken in  
Moving slow, so it resonates  
It's time to rest, not to sleep away  
My thoughts alone, try to complicate  
I'll do my best, to seek you out  
And be myself, and not impersonate"_

When I reached her, I placed my hand on her hip and she placed her hand on my shoulder. We placed our free hands together and let our fingers entwine.

"_I tried so hard to not walk away  
And when things don't go my way  
I'll still carry on and on just the same  
I've always been strong  
But can't make this happen  
'Cause I need to breathe, I want to breathe you in  
The fear of becoming  
I'm so tired of running  
'Cause I need to breathe, I want to breath you in  
I want to breathe you in"_

Jerry dimmed the lights even further and caused the multi-colored panels below us to start flicking on and off. We shook our heads and kept dancing, slowly rotating, spinning around what Jerry would later call "the love point" and would also later be lightly punched by me.

My heart thundered against my rib cage and felt like it was going to burst right out of my chest. Our eyes had yet to lock, since Swift was looking off to her right nervously. I was tempted to do the same out of embarrassment, but forced myself to keep looking at her, waiting for her to turn her head towards me.

"_I'm going in, so cover me  
Your compass will, help me turn the page  
The laughing stock, I'll never be  
Because I won't let them take me"_

Finally, she looked up from the floor. Our eyes, mine emerald, hers caramel, were attracted like opposite magnets and I looked into the deep brown pools and she held me in her gaze, nearly paralyzing me like she had when our eyes first locked.

"_I tried so hard to not walk away  
And when things don't go my way  
I'll still carry on and on just the same  
I've always been strong  
But can't make this happen  
'Cause I need to breathe, I want to breathe you in  
The fear of becoming  
I'm so tired of running  
'Cause I need to breathe, I want to breath you in  
I want to breathe you in"_

She was tired; I could tell her eyelids were getting a little heavy. I kept blinking to prevent my own eyelids from becoming heavy, to no avail. But, she kept her gaze fixated on me, her steely gaze, her icy gaze, her softening gaze, her friendly gaze. I found myself wishing Jerry wasn't in the same room, since he was still making a fool of himself by messing with the lights every couple of seconds.

"_Took awhile to see all the love that's around me  
Through the highs and lows there's a truth that I've known  
And it's you"_

She shivered again and I gave her a questioning look. She shook her head and closed her eyes. I whispered her name and her ears flicked; she opened her eyes again. I smiled at her and she grinned back. She started to yawn, but swallowed it down. I felt myself start to yawn as well. She laughed softly when I attempted to hold it down. I finished the yawn and grinned.

"_I've always been strong  
But can't make this happen  
'Cause I need to breathe, I want to breathe you in  
The fear of becoming  
I'm so tired of running  
'Cause I need to breathe, I want to breathe you in  
I want to breathe you in  
I want to breathe you in  
I want to breathe you in  
I want to, I want to  
I want to breathe you in  
I want to breathe you in_**  
**_I want to breathe; I want to, I want to  
Wanna breathe  
I want to breathe you in_**  
**_I want to breathe you in  
I wanna breathe"_

The song ended, but I wanted to keep dancing. Still, I knew the two of us needed sleep. I was so tired that I nearly fell over when the music stopped. Swift rebalanced me before I took her down with me. I smiled sheepishly and she laughed at me. We released each other and walked over to the turntables. I leaned up against the machine gently, trying not to put too much weight on it. Jerry came over as well.

"I suppose I should get going now. Thanks for a great night, Sonic." Swift looked me in the eye, catching me off guard.

"Umm… You're welcome. Thanks for making my night great too…" I replied. "Stupid, stupid, stupid remark!" I told myself.

"Goodbye, Jerry. And Sonic…" She walked towards me. I stood up straight nervously, instantly awake. She leaned into me and gave me a gentle hug. I instantly melted, like chocolate in boiling water. I blushed and was left speechless. "Goodbye, Sonic." She waved and turned her back to me. She walked through the door and outside. Jerry whistled like he couldn't believe what just happened.

--

I burst out laughing once I got outside. The streets were empty aside from a few late-nighters and myself.

"What a night!" I exclaimed and spun around in place, laughing hysterically. "Oh, wow! I can't believe my luck!" I shouted to the sky. Suddenly, everything seemed to be piecing itself back together again for me. My heart swelled and I felt like I was at the top of a sugar high. I sighed in content and walked on towards my apartment and a good night's sleep.

--

"So, did you get her number?" Jerry asked. All of a sudden, my world came crashing down.

"What?" I squeaked.

"You mean, you didn't get her number?" Jerry exclaimed.

"OH NO!" I yelped. I nearly fell to the floor and died I felt so stupid. I walked over to my barstool and sat down and hid my head in my hands. I almost started crying I was so upset with myself. The turntables tried to start another song, but something was in the way and making the record keep skipping. I didn't see Jerry walk over to the turntables, but I'm glad he did.

"Uhhh… Sonic?"

"What, Jerry? What could you possibly want from a failure like me?" I yelled. The sound of paper crackling by my ear made me pick my head up off of the counter. "Is that-?" I started. Jerry waved a small piece of paper in front of my face. "It is!" I snatched the piece of paper out of his hand and took a look. Sure enough, Swift's number was hastily written on that little piece of paper.

"You should frame that!" Jerry mocked me. I ignored him and just stared at the series of numbers. "Are you listening to me?"

"I gotta go home." I whispered.

"And give your new girlfriend a call!" Jerry added, laughing his head off. I considered giving him a death glare, but decided I shouldn't waste my time. "You better keep coming here. Maybe you should ask her on a real date and bring her back here." Jerry suggested. I laughed back.

"We may be off saving the world by tomorrow, Jerry."

"Well, even if you are, you shouldn't get so caught up in that so you don't spend any quality time with Swift." He smirked back at me, acting like he knew everything about girls. I stood up and walked halfway to the door. Then, I stopped and turned around.

"Thanks for everything, Jerry." I gave him the thumbs-up.

"You're welcome, Sonic. Now, get out of here. I gotta close up shop." He shooed me off.

I ran out the door and skidded to a stop in the middle of the intersection. I took a deep breath and looked around me, holding the little slip of paper close at my side. After a couple of seconds, I took off running down the street. Within a second, I broke the sound barrier and kept running. After two seconds, I slowed myself down and stopped in front of my apartment building. I ran up the stairs and nearly broke my key trying to get inside my room on the fourth level. I slammed the door behind me with a bang and launched myself onto my couch, flicked on my TV, and pulled the phone onto my lap. I took a deep breath and held my finger over the first number. After a second of mental encouragement, I rapidly dialed the number on the slip of paper and listened as the phone rang.

--

My phone started ringing, just as I had expected it to. I balanced the ice pack on my forearm and reached over to my coffee table with my other hand. I grabbed the phone and brought it up to my ear.

"Swift the Hedgehog here. What's your favorite color?" I laughed into the receiver.

"Swift! Oh thank God this is your number!" Sonic yelped.

"Settle down, jeez! So, you found the number, huh? For some reason, I just knew you'd forget something like that." I teased him gently. I readjusted the icepack on my arm and waited for him to respond. "You still there, Sonic?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just can't believe you seem to know me so well." He replied softly. "Are you icing your arm like the medic told you?"

"Yeah." I sighed back, slightly annoyed with the cold.

"Good."

"So…" I started.

"Whatareyoudoingtomorrow." Sonic mumbled on the other end.

"What?" I asked.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" He asked after taking a deep breath and slowing down.

"Hopefully going out to get a bite with you." I said bluntly.

"What time's okay for you?"

"Around eight would be nice."

"Okay, I'll come by your place and pick you up, how does that sound?"

"Fine." I replied. We exchanged addresses and directions quickly, almost like we were high school kids halfway expecting our moms to pick up the phone and listen in on our conversation. "Why are you so jittery, Sonic?" I shivered.

"Me? Jittery? I don't know what you're talking about." He acted like he had no clue.

"Well, you need to take it easy." I warned him gently. I cradled the phone between my shoulder and ear to reach behind me with my uninjured hand and grab my throw blanket. I pulled the blanket around me and leaned back. "You still there?"

"I'm here."

"Aren't you sleepy?" I asked him with a yawn.

"Not really, but it is getting late, and you sound tired." He answered, masked a yawn with a cough.

"Okay then. Good night, Sonic. Remember, tomorrow at eight." I reminded him.

"I'll remember. Good night, Swift." He said. "Sweet dreams." I heard him mutter as the phone clicked off. I returned my phone to the cradle and readjusted the ice pack again. I felt too tired to bother with getting up and getting in bed, since the couch was just as comfy. With a sigh, I dimmed the lights with a snap of my fingers and curled up loosely, resting my head on the pillow behind me. I took one quick look around the room and then shut my eyes. Within minutes, I was in one of the deepest sleeps of my life, dreaming up the events of the next night if they went perfectly.

And yet, a small sensation in the back of my mind told me that somewhere, someone was planning to unleash a great evil upon the world. And I knew, someone would have to step in and stop whoever this was. And I wasn't going to let anything prevent me from stopping whoever it was.

--

After a couple of weeks, Swift and I became more like best friends than boyfriend/girlfriend. We kept that spark from the first night, though. We were a great couple, but we didn't have a lot of time with each other to say that we really knew each other well. So, we figured it would be better if we took the time to really get to know each other. I knew we would have the time, eventually.

--

_3 months later…_

"This isn't gonna work!" I screamed across the cockpit at Tails.

"Yes, it will! You have to trust the machine."

"Trust the machine, my butt!" I shouted back. Sonic reached over and grabbed my hand.

"It'll work." He promised. Suddenly, we were in the air above Perfect Chaos.

"I thought the engine was busted." I yelled at Tails.

"Not anymore!" He winked at me.

"Come on, you got the Chaos Emerald?" Sonic pulled me up onto the wing of the Tornado.

"Yeah." I pulled the red emerald out and handed it to him.

"You ready?"

"Always." I replied and placed my hand in his, covering the emerald and drawing from its power.

"Now!" Sonic shouted. Hand-in-hand, we leapt off of the Tornado and dove down towards the Perfect Chaos. "Go for it!" Sonic shouted to me.

"Chaos Blast!"

**Thanks for reading!** **D **

**When darkness falls, heroes will rise**

**Swift**


End file.
